6i8 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
are denser and much lighter than in the ordinary bee. 
The queens are larger, and often of a pale bronze 
colour, while the drones are strong and solid (see 
page 212). The popularity of this bee has grown 
suddenly, but is fully justified by its excellent qualities. 
The merest novice can handle it in confidence. It is 
a grand comb-builder, making cells slightly larger than 
those of our native bee (page 21 1). It gathers very little 
propolis, using wax instead. It winters magnificently, 
coming in strength right through into the spring. 
With great force of constitution, it is long-lived, so 
that nuclei retain their numbers a lengthened period, 
in the absence of laying queens. It is very prolific 
and industrious, and gathers honey in large amount ; 
but it is a free swarmer. This point can be dealt 
with by the intelligent apiarian. 
The bees crossed between Cyprians and Carniolans, 
although unequal in colour, are yet beautiful, for 
where the yellow of the Cyprian is wanting, the 
dense, light pubescence of the Carniolan is present 
as a compensation. As a business bee, this cross 
promises, perhaps, better than any other. 
Respecting crosses, it must be observed that there 
is a constant disposition to breed out the drone 
element. Suppose, e.g., a large apiary to contain 
Carniolan mothers, suffered to produce no drones, 
the latter being entirely provided from one or two 
Cyprian colonies in which drone-breeding is en- 
couraged. The swarmed colonies become hybrids ; 
and, if the pure mothers are now replaced by 
similarly cross-mated queens, it may be supposed 
that the apiary has the chosen cross established in 
